I want to share with you about a phenomenon known as “Fetal-Maternal Microchimerism”
When a person is pregnant, the cells of the fetus will migrate into the mothers bloodstream and continue circling back into the baby. It's called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”, and it seems pretty important to know about.
For up to 41 weeks, the cells of the baby will circulate and merge, spiraling and dancing backwards and forwards with the cells of their parent. And it continues after your baby is born.
Many of these cells will reside in the mother’s body leaving a permanent imprint in their tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and stay there for decades. And it will happen again, with every child the mother has afterwards, a permanent imprint is left on her body.
Often we hear mother's say that she doesn’t feel the same or misses the old version of themselves, and it's very true. It’s because it’s gone. It’s been altered permanently.
Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?
It’s amazing - but it can also be painful. And it’s not something most people feel comfortable talking about. I don't think many people really even knew to expect such a dramatic change. Resentment sets in. For some, relationships start to distance, passion grows weaker, stress takes over, and connections get severed.
But it's possible to repair.
Come Connected is a series of workshops that I am developing to help break the cycle of disconnection in families who are starting out. Tools that assist the couple’s ability to repair after conflict, to get vulnerable and slow down in heated moments. To see each other, and to be deeply seen.
Getting new parents together with future parents to set each other up for success. Bringing the circle back to community around healthy and safe children. To model compassion and empathy for our little ones.
Come Connected has three stages:
Owning It - 5 week cohort to practice sovereignty in sharing about our inner experience, in order to have the meaningful connections we all crave and desire.
Real Talk - weekend workshop for couples to learn conversation skills that build connections instead of creating distance, using curiosity, vulnerability, and the strength to sit it through.
And BIG STEP - for trying or expecting couples - to learn Birth Basics 101 - loading all the info from my doula prenatal visits (plus a bunch more!) up virtually and creating a community around the pregnancy /postpartum / parenting journey.
And it’s launched this week with the first cohort. Couldn’t be more excited, and slightly terrified, at what is being unfurled!
For new or expecting families, families who are planning, and people who are curious if the parenting path is for them.
It’s all connected, we are all connected, and our future depends on these connections that we are building today.
🎨 : Clare Mack
